RANDOMIZED PROSPECTIVE STUDY COMPARING TRANSVERSE AND EXTRACORTICAL FIXATION IN ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common, necessitating surgical reconstruction.
• Femoral fixation is a critical component in ACL reconstruction, influencing graft stability and patient outcomes.
• Comparing different fixation techniques is essential for optimizing surgical results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively compare transverse fixation (Cross-Pin™) with extracortical fixation (EZLoc™) for the femur in ACL reconstruction.
• To evaluate clinical, biomechanical, and functional differences between the two fixation methods.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 50 patients with ACL injuries undergoing arthroscopic reconstruction with homologous flexor tendons.
• Randomized assignment to either Cross-Pin™ or EZLoc™ femoral fixation.
• Assessment using the Lysholm scale, SF36 quality-of-life questionnaire, and KT1000™ arthrometer at a mean follow-up of 18.1 months.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for Lysholm scale scores and KT1000™ measurements.
• The SF36 questionnaire revealed a statistically significant difference, with transverse fixation demonstrating superiority in pain and vitality domains.

Conclusions:

• Both transverse (Cross-Pin™) and extracortical (EZLoc™) fixation techniques are effective for transfemoral fixation in ACL reconstruction.
• While clinical outcomes were largely similar, transverse fixation showed advantages in patient-reported pain and vitality.
• Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the differences between these fixation methods.